Escape Velocity

A curated Collection of Fantasy and Science Fiction Media

More Posts By Jop

Yearly Wrap-up: 2023 in Review

Our curators look back at their 2023 resolutions, and their favourite fantasy and science fiction media of the past year. Which media on their to be read/watch/listen/play piles got their attention? And what else did the year bring?

Review: Disenchanted – Disney

In ‘Enchanted’, former storybook princess Giselle leaves her fairy tale life behind to find a happily ever after in the real world with a single dad and his pre-teen daughter. In this movie, Giselle has a baby of her own and a now gloomy teenage stepdaughter. To try and escape an existence in a rut, Giselle makes her family move to a small suburban village. Furthermore, she uses a magic wand to wish a fairy tale life for her family. Alas, as often tends to happen with wishes, things don’t work out as she intends…

Review: The Last of Us – HBO Max

Global society collapsed after a fungus turning people into zombies spread like a wildfire. Joel is a world-weary smuggler used to a life out of sight of what remains of the authorities. Ellie, on the other hand, is a sassy teenager growing up in a dreary post-apocalyptic world, whose importance neither she nor Joel can grasp. When Joel is tasked to take Ellie on a dangerous trip across country, he is (understandably) less than thrilled.

Review: Ship of Magic – Robin Hobb

The life of everyone in the Vestrit family is about to change when it seems that the current patriarch is close to succumbing to his illness, an event that will also fully awaken the family’s liveship Vivacia. Matriach Ronica Vestrit not only has to cope with her husbands impending death, but also the family’s failing fortune. Althea hopes to succeed her father as captain. Meanwhile, her nephew Wintrow is none too pleased to leave his life in the monastery behind to be with his family again.

At the same time, the ambitious pirate captain Kennit dreams of uniting all of the Pirate Isles under himself as king. To achieve this, he intends to capture one of the rare liveships.

Review: I, Robot – Isaac Asimov

In I, Robot by Isaac Asimov, a collection of short stories, the famous robopsychologist Dr. Susan Calvin reflects on the history of robotics and how it changed the lives of humankind forever. What is the meaning of the Three Laws of Robotics and how do these laws work in practice? What can we learn from our interactions with robots? And what can they learn from us?

Collected: Primordia by Wormwood Studios

COLLECTION: Primordia is a beautiful and atmospheric point-and-click-game, following the story of Horatio Nullbuilt, an android living in a crashed ship in the desert wasteland, who has his life turned upside down when a hostile robot steals his ship’s power core. Horatio is determined to scavenge the post-apocalyptic wasteland for a new core, but Crispin, his self-built sidekick, suggests that perhaps it would be easier to find one in Metropol, the city of glass and light…

Review: The Owl House – Dana Terrace

The Owl House is an animation series in which teenager Luz accidentally steps through a portal to the magical world of The Boiling Isles. Here she becomes an apprentice to the witch Eda, and gradually discovers the hidden strengths within herself and others. What’s wrong with being weird?

Review: Flamecraft – Manny Vega

Review of the board game Flamecraft. In a peaceful, magical town, people live and work alongside little artisan dragons that are a little like their larger (and quite dangerous) cousins. Shopkeepers greatly appreciate the help of these little dragons, for their flamecraft is a delight to all customers.

As a Flamekeeper, you are blessed with the ability to communicate with the artisan dragons. Both shopkeepers and dragons look to you to help dragons find their ideal home, enabling the wonders of flamecraft to make everyone in town more happy.